The beer appears a dark brown color with hints of crimson. The head is a light tan hue and leaves a fair bit of lacing on the glass. The nose brings smoke, roast, and booze. The flavor is decent, with alcohol prominent throughout. Smoke is the primary flavor element, with alcohol and roast coming in behind. The feel is medium bodied and slightly hot on the palate. Overall, a decent beer, but I prefer smoke beers / rauchbiers to be easier drinking and lighter on the palate.

This beer would be better if it would calm down a bit, it's a little too hot throughout. I suppose since this is the new base beer for the barrels there it doesn't matter that it's a little hot, it will sit around for months in the barrels anyway. Medium in body, dry finish, lots of smoke in there, some roastiness at the back. I'd definitely want to try the new aged versions of this beer but the base is a little underwhelming.

Huge, huge thanks to capra12 for grabbing me a growler of this from DeCicco's. This one has been a longtime coming and I'm glad Jon was finally able to grab this for me. Served in a Bruery tulip.

Pours near black with a good light tan head and a bit of lacing as it falls down the glass. The nose brings some night roast and light chocolate and also a bit of a mild coffee presence. Behind this comes a moderate amount of smokiness. Nothing too complex or in your face, but it's certainly there. The flavor also has smoke as the dominant characteristic, though it doesn't overwhelm or wow me. Similarly, the background notes come together cohesively, but don't really stand out too much. Mouthfeel is medium with good carbonation and moderate dry smokiness in the finish. Drinkability was quite good. Hard to believe this was 12%. I'd love to revisit this one eventually to see if there's something I'm missing.

A: Very black color. By very black I mean this thing let no light into it at all. A little bit of brownish head.

S: The beer smells like a rauch. Tons of smoke and even a little bit of the elusive bacon. More smoke. A little bit of chocolate but the smoke really dominated this one.

T: Smoke. See what I am getting at. Astringent. Little bit of chocolate. Smoke. Smoke. It was enjoyable but this is a smokey beer.

M: Medium body. Thinner than I would have thought. The carbonation was light.

D: Really different. This is going to be the new base for the SFTO so I do not know if this will be available as a regular beer. As a smoked porter it kind of falls. Too over the top. Now as the base for a barrel aged beer I am exited. This has enough smoke to keep some of the bad bugs at bay. I found it hard to get through a snifter by myself. Throw this in a wine/rum/bourbon/brandy barrel for a while and that will fix itself.

t: very nice. very very smokey (I would actually like it a bit better if it were not so heavily smokey, but I guess that's the point of this beer). complex dark fruit appearing in the background as it warms.

d - Overall I thought this was a really good smoked porter. I think I liked it a little better than their normal Pleasantville smoked porter and would definitely have it again. I'm really interested in trying the new SFTO series as I feel this would be a really good base beer.

This is the base beer for CLs Smoke From the Oak series. It pours a near black color with two fingers of a light tan head. The nose on this imperial smoked porter begins with a smokey quality, no big surprise there. There is also some coffee with roasted malts. For the taste, more of the roasted malts, dark, a bit of chocolate presents itself. The smoke continues to make itself known, in a balanced manner. Its`s body is medium with a similar carbonation level. Another solid offering from the crew over at CL.

Black as night with a one finger light tan head that receeds to a small ring. Tiny little specs of lacing. Aroma is really heavy on the vanilla and chocolate, oats or oatmeal, there is a little alocohol mixed in there too. This beer tastes rich and heavy. Strong roasted and toasted flavors with heavy chocolate, vanilla, and oatmeal flavors and tones. Some rich over ripe berry fruit flavors too. Coats your mouth on all sides with its thick and luxurious texture. Although this beer is fantastic it is a little powerful to garner a high drinkability score, but its pretty tasty.

T: Starts with nice, bacony campfire smoke, and quickly broadens into a tapestry of beautifully complex malt notes - caramel, toffee, chocolate, and coffee. The bitter coffee joins with booze and maybe even a bit of hops on the remarkably clean finish. The aftertaste is a bit too boozy for me, but that's the only fault to be found. Very, very tasty.

M: Substantial medium body with fairly low, but very smooth, carbonation. Lovely for the style.

D: As great as this is, I'm glad I had help with the growler.

Notes: Yet another great beer from one of my favorite breweries. I wish they would make this a regular offering, as I enjoyed it far, far more than their regular smoked porter - so much more depth and complexity. I'd love to try it side-by-side with Alaskan Smoked Porter - it would be a close battle, and I'm not sure who would win. I think the CL has a slight edge flavor-wise, but the Alaskan beer is eminently smooth and drinkable. It would be a good night of drinking.

Smell: Lots of smoked oak, black strap molasses, not quite bacon like but a hint of umami is present.

Taste: Dark roasted malt note up front that also bares a hint of bitterness along with a strong smoke punch. Now I'm not saying this is hitting Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock proportions (it isn't) but the smoke is defintely present. Smoke note finishes fairly long.

Mouthfeel: On the light side of heavy bodied with moderate carbonation. Fairly slick.

Drinkability: The mouthfeel isn't a huge hurdle but I couldn't drink this all night long either.

Pours a deepest dark brown, opaque, topped by a one finger head which fights the good fight, but ends up as a skim, then finally to a bare cap and thin ring, atop this thick looking beauty.

Not a strong smell, but full of dark fruit, smoky roast malt, dark caramel, hints of tart yeast, and some other sweet aromas hard to define.

Full flavored, and once this baby opens up it is a feast for the palate. It starts tart and sweet, almost vinous, but the malt and smoke kick in, some really nice yeast balances it with tart. Dark fruits come into the sip, plum, ripe cherry, some figgy flavor kicks in, some coffee, the smoke just carries it, never overpowering like in some rauchbiers, finally ending in a juicy finish that is the sweet of the fruit, the drying flavor of the smoke, spicy yet subdued alcohol, along with hints of floral, earth, and herbal bitter. As it warms this becomes a pleasure that is rare, a delicious taste unlike any others I've tried. What a shame this is listed as a porter, it should have its own category.

Mouthfeel is just short of stoutlike, highly viscous, very low carb., and a superior and complex finish.

Drinkability is dangerously good. Besides for the lack of alcohol presence, the flavors beg for another sip.

Impression: Get this if you can, absolutely stellar work by the HudVal's other great brewer.

Another good one from CL. From what I understand this is the base for the SFTO beers (before the barrels) Appearance is nice and black with a couple fingers of head on it. Smell is super smokey, reminds me of a barbecue. The taste is phenomenal if you like smokey beers. Really really nice smokeyness in the nose and the mouth, lots of roasted malt. Mouthfeel is slightly creamy with a nice smokey aftertaste. This is a big beer but I consider it pretty drinkable, althow im sure a lot of people will consider this one a slow sipper. Very enjoyable

On tap at Lazy Boy Saloon. Owner is such a cool dude. He gives Jlynn a free pint of bluepoint blueberry and me a free la choufee tulip with my KBS to go in a bottle. Really knows his beer. Recommended me a Keedhan Ale Jo Mama's milk stout that was bangin. He also hand out a nice Brooklyn Bottle opener. On to the review. Poured into a 12 ounce glass.

A Black body with a nice brown head. This porter looks like me with my shirt off... BigTyme.

S Smoke, Roasted Oats, Sugar, Chocolate, smells like roasting marsh mellows around a campfire with a bowl of oatmeal.

T Smokey, chocolate covered roasted oats. Wow this flavor is intense. I haven't had many smokes porters besides the stone smoke porter. The smoke in this one blows the stone away. I feel like I'm hanging out by a bonfire with this one. Very interesting.

M Huge flavor profile. Overwhelms the palate in a good way. Very full bodied especially for a porter.

O Easy to drink for the huge smokey flavor and high abv. I was definitely feeling it after this one. CL has really gotten me interested in smoked porters. I'll have to see more out.

Review #1200. Huge thanks to Sean for acquiring a 32oz growler of this one, after I missed out on it earlier. Served in a Heady Topper glass.

A - Pours with a finger-plus of dark tan foam that settles to a near-complete thin cap and thick big-bubbled ring. Not much in the way of lace, but it's a solid, dark, dark brown body.

S - Smoke and buttery cocoa are initially at the forefront, but as it warms there is more caramel, meat and hickory, and milk chocolate. Like a maple-glazed ham drenched in butter with a side of chocolate.

T - Smoked meats and a slight hammy quality to it. Milk chocolate, some nice residual coffee bitterness, and shockingly no alcohol. I did a double-take when I saw this was listed at 12%. I would have guessed 8-9% at most.

M - Smooth medium body, nice soft tingly carbonation, lightly tannic and smoky finish. Maybe a touch light for the alcohol, but since you can't taste there isn't much incongruity.

D - This is a really good beer. Why do they ruin most of it by making Smoke from the Oak? Shockingly drinkable for a 12% smoked porter.

16 ounce "Growler" filled at DeCiccos in Ardsley, NY. An always welcome new one from the captain. Pours black, under a dark mocha head, that is dense and lasting. Turns to a thick tiny bubble film, collar and leaves plentiful fine bits of lacing. Rich smoky nose, with some undertones of dark chocolate. Thick and viscous brew, allowed to warm up quite a bit, this one is loaded with chocolate, bacon infused smoke, rich dark/roasty/burnt malts, espresso, ripe dark fruits. Dark mocha/dark chocolate beer shake. Simply yummy stuff. Hoppy and drying in the finish, all through the mouth and down the throat. Enjoy with some smoky BBQ or as a desert beer with a chocolate after feast treat. Great new one from Scott V/CLB